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The fire brigade and police secure the scene of the accident.
Photo: Justin Brosch / dpa
After a traffic accident with five cars on the Autobahn 43 near Bochum, an 18-year-old died of her injuries. Another 16 people were injured. The woman had come off the road in the night to Monday, according to initial findings, with her car and first to the right, then to the left against the guardrail, said a police spokesman.
Subsequently, the car came to a stop in the middle of the road, where the following vehicles collided with the car of the 18-year-old. Why the woman came off the road, was still unclear on Monday morning.
According to the fire brigade, the woman was lifeless on the hard shoulder when the emergency services arrived and was already being cared for by first responders. She died in hospital on Monday morning. According to information from the newspaper »Bild«, she had been on her way back from a wedding celebration.
Two cars completely burned out
Another seven people were seriously injured in the accident on Monday night, including two toddlers, the fire department said. Five people were taken to hospital with minor injuries and four people were treated by the emergency services on site.
Two cars were completely burned out. The fire brigade had prevented the flames from spreading to another car. More than 60 emergency personnel were on site. The A43 was temporarily closed in both directions during the rescue efforts.
mpz/dpa